Rory MacDonald: “I believe I am on the cutting edge of the sport and the future is very bright.”

At 22-years old, Rory MacDonald is one of the youngest fighters on the UFC roster. He’s also one of the most highly-touted with a 12-1 record including wins over a number of respectable adversaries and his only loss involving last-second stumble against Carlos Condit costing him a likely decision victory. While his success at such a young age may surprise many fans it certainly doesn’t come as a shock to MacDonald.

MacDonald, who fights Che Mills this Saturday night at UFC 145, was oozing with confidence during a recent interview with Fightline where he discussed his upcoming bout and how he views himself as a competitor.

“From the very beginning I set goals for myself so I am not surprised that I have accomplished all that I have up until this point,” explained MacDonald, adding he’d fallen in love with martial arts at a very young age.

“One of my main goals has always been to be original and exciting at the same time,” he continued. “I want to win and entertain the fans all at once. I believe I am on the cutting edge of the sport and the future is very bright.”

In Mills, “Ares” will see action against another rising welterweight. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak including three opening round knockouts. However, outside of the basics, MacDonald couldn’t tell you much about what his adversary has to offer inside the Octagon.

“I really don’t know all that much about him,” admitted MacDonald of Mills. “That’s how I like it, the less I know the better. I normally don’t do a lot of research or watch a lot of video of my opponents past fights. I just kind of react to what I see in front of me. All I can do is worry about myself and making sure that I am in shape and prepared for anything and everything. My coaches are the ones who set-up my game plan and they train me accordingly. I can tell you that he is a kickboxer and that’s about it to be honest with you.”

Though MacDonald may subscribe to the theory of “ignorance is bliss”, it’s growing nearly impossible to overlook the young Canadian contender himself, especially with the momentum of another win potentially under his belt. Fans can catch his bout with Mills on PPV with things starting up at 10:00 PM EST.